Suggestions for Lethargic Hen?

[BuddingGardener]

She's acting more lethargic today and less interested in food. Still passing some poop, but little bits. We have a follow up vet visit for Tuesday and I was told to call early tomorrow for a same day visit, so I think that's the plan. I am concerned about the possibility of ovarian cancer but not sure what else to think at this stage.

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know what you find out from the vet.

 

[BuddingGardener]

She just passed this and looks a bit better after passing it. These are the bloody chunks I saw the day before she started acting lethargic. Still taking her in tomorrow!

 

[Seaslug]

Sending good thoughts!

 

[BuddingGardener]

Sending good thoughts!

Thank you so much! She's still picking at food, when I called the hospital about it they obviously recommended a sooner follow up than my original tuesday appointment, but I plan on calling for same-day tomorrow morning right at opening (as advised by the vet assistant on the phone today). Right now from the photo they said there's still a chance it's from the reproductive tract and not GI. If it's a reproductive problem I don't think there's many curative options. I'll keep my fingers crossed for my baby and we'll see at eval tomorrow morning.

 

[BuddingGardener]

My vet was definitely confused by the amount of meds thrown at my girl. We reduced meds down to the amoxicillan only and he took bloodwork and a fecal sample. He said he'd like to re-do the x-ray if we need to, but wanted to save me a bit of money by seeing what the bloodwork and samples turn up first. Apparently the x-ray wasn't the best, either. Sigh.

Anyway, she continued to perk up after passing the bloody mucus, and has eaten enough to get her strength back. The current suspicion is that the mucus and blood is coming from the reproductive tract, because her actual stool looks normal at a glance, and she is not bleeding from the digestive tract. She has a history of prolapse and bleeding (pretty heavily) with egg-laying during seasonal hormonal changes so this makes sense to me. I don't know what this will mean for her prognosis or treatment, but for now, she's back outside enjoying the dirt. We will continue to separate her to ensure she's continuing to eat and poop regularly, but it doesn't look like she's in any imminent danger while we await test results.

 

[BuddingGardener]

Still waiting for results. My hen was doing great for a couple of days, well enough that I put her outside with the other chickens, and then today she's back to her extremely lethargic behavior. She had a couple of blueberries, but otherwise isn't really eating or drinking. She had a few small poops this morning and hasn't passed much since then. I gave her a little coconut oil and I'm not sure if I should give her fluids or what I should do. She's still on her antibiotic course ... I'm stumped. I can't pay for a second emergency visit, so she's separated and being kept in a warm place with food and water.

I called the vet and left a message about how she keeps swinging up and down. We'll see what happens.

EDIT to add: she is starting to lose feathers, but I'm not sure if this is what I'd call normal molt behavior or if she feels extra sick and it's causing her to molt.

 

[Seaslug]

I am so sorry to hear this. I wish I knew more about chicken health to be of some assistance. Perhaps someone else who has more knowledge will chime in. Still sending good vibes, for what they are worth!

 

[BuddingGardener]

I am so sorry to hear this. I wish I knew more about chicken health to be of some assistance. Perhaps someone else who has more knowledge will chime in. Still sending good vibes, for what they are worth!

She keeps scaring us, then acting a bit stronger. I syringe-fed her some nutri-drench water and some coconut oil earlier, and she took a few bites of blueberries. Left her for two hours to rest, she got up and started drinking and eating on her own. She's dropping a lot of feathers, too. I'm still not totally convinced this is JUST a molt that's making her feel this way, but she's still fighting!

 

[Seaslug]

People report that molting making chickens feel crummy, go off feed, and even show differences in personality. I am not a good judge, because extremes in weather can make me grumpy.